Insertional Achilles tendinopathy

Abstract

Objective: Retrospectively analyze surgical procedures performed on patients with insertional Achilles (calcaneal tendon) tendinopathy, focusing on outcomes and the impact on the patients’ functional quality. Methods: A descriptive, retrospective, case series study drawn up by collecting data directly from the patients’ medical records. For the functional analysis of patients, we used the questionnaire of the adapted American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society Ankle-Hindfoot Scale (AOFAS). An assessment was carried out on each of the patients who underwent surgery at our hospital from 2010 to 2019, using the surgical technique described in this article, i.e., resection of the affected portion of the tendon with its subsequent reinsertion. Results: All surgical patients achieved an improvement in their AOFAS score and in pain levels, with good functional performance only three months into the postoperative period, from 50.1 to 83.75 (p<0.001). Conclusion: The use of the technique proved very effective, particularly in terms of the maintenance of foot function and important improvement in pain levels, thus producing a relevant increase in function among patients. Level of Evidence IV; Therapeutic Study; Case Series.

Keywords

• Calcaneal tendon/pathology
• Tendinopathy/surgery
• Calcaneus